Download E7505 Master-LS2

E7505 Master-LS2
MS-9121 (v1.X) E-ATX Mainboard
Version 1.0
G52-S9121X1
i
Manual Rev: 1.0
Release Date: Oct. 2002
FCC-A Radio Frequency Interference Statement
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a class
A digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed
to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses
and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to
cause harmful interference, in which case the user will be required to correct
the interference at his own expense.
Notice 1
The changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
Notice 2
Shielded interface cables and A.C. power cord, if any, must be used in order to
comply with the emission limits.
VOIR LA NOTICE D’INSTALLATION AVANT DE RACCORDER AU
RESEAU.
Micro-Star International MS-9121
Tested to comply
with FCC Standard
For Home or Office Use
ii
Copyright Notice
The material in this document is the intellectual property of MICRO-STAR
INTERNATIONAL. We take every care in the preparation of this document,
but no guarantee is given as to the correctness of its contents. Our products
are under continual improvement and we reserve the right to make changes
without notice.
Trademarks
All trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.
Intel® and Pentium® are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation.
PS/2 and OS®/2 are registered trademarks of International Business Machines
Corporation.
Windows ® 95/98/2000/NT/XP are registered trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation.
Netware® is a registered trademark of Novell, Inc.
Award® is a registered trademark of Phoenix Technologies Ltd.
AMI® is a registered trademark of American Megatrends Inc.
Revision History
Revision
V1.0
Revision History
First release
Date
Oct. 2002
Technical Support
If a problem arises with your system and no solution can be obtained from the
user’s manual, please contact your place of purchase or local distributor.
Alternatively, please try the following help resources for further guidance.
Visit the MSI website for FAQ, technical guide, BIOS updates, driver
updates, and other information: http://www.msi.com.tw/
Contact our technical staff at: [email protected]
iii
Safety Instructions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Always read the safety instructions carefully.
Keep this User’s Manual for future reference.
Keep this equipment away from humidity.
Lay this equipment on a reliable flat surface before setting it up.
The openings on the enclosure are for air convection hence protects the
equipment from overheating. DO NOT COVER THE OPENINGS.
6. Make sure the voltage of the power source and adjust properly 110/220V
before connecting the equipment to the power inlet.
7. Place the power cord such a way that people can not step on it. Do not
place anything over the power cord.
8. Always Unplug the Power Cord before inserting any add-on card or module.
9. All cautions and warnings on the equipment should be noted.
10. Never pour any liquid into the opening that could damage or cause electrical shock.
11. If any of the following situations arises, get the equipment checked by a
service personnel:
z The power cord or plug is damaged.
z Liquid has penetrated into the equipment.
z The equipment has been exposed to moisture.
z The equipment has not work well or you can not get it work according
to User’s Manual.
z The equipment has dropped and damaged.
z The equipment has obvious sign of breakage.
12. DO NOT LEAVE THIS EQUIPMENT IN AN ENVIRONMENT
UNCONDITIONED, STORAGE TEMPERATURE ABOVE 600 C (1400F), IT
MAY DAMAGE THE EQUIPMENT.
CAUTION: Danger of explosion if battery is incorrectly replaced.
Replace only with the same or equivalent type recommended by the
manufacturer.
iv
CONTENTS
FCC-A Radio Frequency Interference Statement .......................................... iii
Copyright Notice .......................................................................................... iii
Revision History ........................................................................................... iii
Technical Support ......................................................................................... iii
Safety Instructions ....................................................................................... iv
Chapter 1. Getting Started ........................................................................ 1-1
Mainboard Specifications .................................................................... 1-2
Mainboard Layout ............................................................................... 1-5
MSI Special Features ........................................................................... 1-6
PC Alert™ III ................................................................................. 1-6
Live BIOS™/Live Driver™ ............................................................ 1-6
Live Monitor™ .............................................................................. 1-8
Chapter 2. Hardware Setup ....................................................................... 2-1
Quick Components Guide .................................................................... 2-2
Central Processing Unit: CPU .............................................................. 2-3
CPU Installation Procedures ......................................................... 2-4
CPU Core Speed Derivation Procedure ......................................... 2-5
Memory ................................................................................................ 2-6
Memory Speed/CPU FSB Support Matrix ..................................... 2-6
DIMM Module Combination ......................................................... 2-6
Installing DDR Modules ............................................................... 2-7
Power Supply ....................................................................................... 2-8
SSI 24-Pin Power Connector: POWER1 ......................................... 2-8
SSI 8-Pin Power Connector: POWER2 ........................................... 2-8
Back Panel ............................................................................................ 2-9
Mouse Connector ......................................................................... 2-9
Keyboard Connector ................................................................... 2-10
USB Connectors .......................................................................... 2-10
Serial Port Connector: COM A & COM B ................................... 2-11
v
Audio Port Connectors ............................................................... 2-11
Parallel Port Connector: LPT1 ...................................................... 2-12
RJ-45 LAN Jack: Giga-bit LAN .................................................... 2-13
Connectors ......................................................................................... 2-14
Floppy Disk Drive Connector: FDD1 ........................................... 2-14
Chassis Intrusion Switch Connector: JCI1 .................................. 2-14
Hard Disk Connectors: IDE1/2 .................................................... 2-15
Fan Power Connectors: CPUFAN1/2, SYSFAN1/2/3/4/5 ............. 2-16
Front Panel Connectors: JFP2, JFP3 ............................................ 2-17
SCSI LED Connector: J18 ............................................................ 2-18
Front USB Connector: JUSB3 ...................................................... 2-18
Wake On LAN Connector: JWL1 ................................................ 2-19
CD-In Connector: JCD1 ............................................................... 2-19
Ultra320 SCSI Connectors: SCSI 1/2 ............................................ 2-20
Jumpers .............................................................................................. 2-21
Clear CMOS Jumper: JBAT1 ........................................................ 2-21
System Configure Jumper: J12 ..................................................... 2-22
BIOS Flash Jumper: J14 ............................................................... 2-22
Buzzer Enable/Disable Jumper: J16 .............................................. 2-23
ASR Enable/Disable Jumper: J17 ................................................. 2-24
Slots ................................................................................................... 2-25
AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) Pro Slot .................................. 2-25
PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) Slots .......................... 2-25
Interrupt Request Routing .......................................................... 2-29
Chapter 3. BIOS Setup .............................................................................. 3-1
Entering Setup ...................................................................................... 3-2
Control Keys ................................................................................. 3-2
Getting Help .................................................................................. 3-3
The Main Menu ................................................................................... 3-4
vi
Standard CMOS Features .................................................................... 3-6
Advanced BIOS Features .................................................................... 3-8
Advanced Chipset Features ............................................................... 3-12
Integrated Peripherals ........................................................................ 3-15
Power Management Setup ................................................................. 3-19
PNP/PCI Configurations ..................................................................... 3-22
PC Health Status ................................................................................ 3-24
Frequency/Voltage Control ................................................................ 3-25
Load Fail-Safe/Optimized Defaults ..................................................... 3-26
Set Supervisor/User Password ........................................................... 3-27
Troubleshooting ........................................................................................ T-1
Glossary .................................................................................................... G-1
vii
Getting Started
Chapter 1. Getting
Started
Getting Started
Thank you for purchasing the E7505 Master-LS2 (MS-9121
v1.X) E-ATX mainboard. The E7505 Master-LS2 is a superior
computer mainboard based on Intel® E7505 & ICH4 chipsets
for optimal system efficiency. Designed to fit the advanced Intel®
Xeon™ processor with 512K L2 cache, this mainboard provides
a cost-effective and professional solution for high-end
workstation and server markets.
1-1
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
Mainboard Specifications
CPU
h Supports single/dual Intel® Xeon™ processors with 512K L2 cache.
h Supports 1.8GHz ~ 2.8GHz and up.
Chipset
h Intel® E7505 North Bridge
- Supports 100MHz/133MHz system clock.
- Intel® NetBurst micro-architecture supports 400MHz/533MHz system bus.
- System bus bandwidth of 3.2GB/s & 4.27GB/s.
- Supports DDR266/200 memory.
- Supports AGP 8x/4x.
h Intel® ICH4 South Bridge
- Hi-Speed USB (USB2.0) controller, 480Mb/sec.
- 2 channel Ultra ATA 100 bus Master IDE controller.
- PCI Master 2.2.
- I/O APIC.
- AC’97 2.2 interface.
- 3 UHCI Host controllers and 1 EHCI Host controller.
h Intel® P64H2 chipset
- Supports 64-bit PCI-X slots at 100MHz..
- Connects directly to the MCH and provides a dedicated path for high
performance I/O.
Main Memory
h Supports eight memory banks using four 184-pin DDR DIMMs.
h Supports up to 8GB PC2100/PC1600 DDR SDRAMs.
h Supports 2.5v DDR SDRAM.
Slots
h 1 x 8X AGP Pro (50 Watts) slot.
h 1 x 64bit/100MHz PCI-X slot with support for Zero Channel RAID (PCIX3).
h 3 x 64bit/100MHz PCI-X slots.
h 1 x 32bit/33MHz PCI slot.
h 1 x mini PCI slot.
h PCI 2.2, PCI-X, and AGP 3.0 compliant.
1-2
Getting Started
OnboardIDE
h An IDE controller on the ICH4 chipset provides IDE HDD/CD-ROM with
PIO, Bus Master and Ultra DMA100/66/33 operation modes.
h Can connect up to four IDE devices.
On-Board Peripherals
h On-Board Peripherals include:
- 1 x floppy port supports 2 FDDs with 360K, 720K, 1.2M, 1.44M and
2.88Mbytes
- 2 x serial ports (COM A + COM B)
- 1 x parallel port supports SPP/EPP/ECP mode
- 1 x RJ-45 LAN port
- 2 x SCSI connectors
- 2 x IEEE 1394 ports (Rear x 1/Front x 1) provided by add-in card (Optional)
- 4 x USB 2.0 ports (Rear x 2/Front x 2)
Onboard SCSI
h Integrated LSI 53C1030 Ultra320 SCSI controller.
h Supports dual channels.
OnboardLAN
h Integrated Broadcom® BCM5703CKHB Gigabit Ethernet controller.
h 64bit/100MHz PCI-X bus interface.
OnboardAudio
h AC’97 audio codec integrated in ICH4 south bridge.
h AD 1885 software audio codec.
h Vertical audio phonejacks (MIC, Line-In, Line-Out) onboard.
Video Add-In Card (Optional)
h ATI Rage™ XL video controller with 8MB memory.
h Mini PCI interface.
IEEE 1394 Add-In Card (Optional)
h TI TSB43AB22 1394a Link Layer Controller.
h Mini PCI interface.
1-3
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
BIOS
h The mainboard BIOS provides “Plug & Play” BIOS which detects the peripheral devices and expansion cards of the board automatically.
h The mainboard provides a Desktop Management Interface (DMI) function
which records your mainboard specifications.
Dimension
h Extended ATX Form Factor: 12” x 13”.
h Compliant with SSI EEB 3.0.
Mounting
h 9 mounting holes.
MSI Reminds You...
Enabling the functionality of Hyper-Threading Technology for
your computer system requires ALL of the following platform
Components:
*CPU: Intel ® Pentium ® 4 or Xeon™ Processors with HT
Technology;
*Chipset: Intel® Chipsets that support HT Technology;
*BIOS: A BIOS that supports HT Technology and has it enabled;
*OS: An operating system that supports HT Technology.
For more information on Hyper-threading Technology, go to:
http://www.intel.com/info/hyperthreading
1-4
Getting Started
Mainboard Layout
Top : mouse
Bottom: keyboard
USB
ports
CPUFAN1
POWER1
SYSFAN1
mPGA604
POWER2
MEGA TRENDS
PC873661BW
Audio
IDE 2
FDD 1
Intel
E7505
IDE 1
mPGA604
SYSFAN2
DIMM4
CPUFAN2
Pulse
H5007
LAN
DIMM3
DIMM1
Bottom:
COM A
COM B
DIMM2
Top :
Parallel Port
BROADCOM
BCM5703CKHB
JCD1
JCI1
AGP Pro Slot
JBAT1
SCSI 1
BATT
+
ICH4
PCI 1
PCI 2
Codec
J12
PCIX1
J14
PCIX2
BIOS
P64H2
SCSI 2
LSI53C1030
PCIX3
PCIX4
SYSFAN3
J16
J17
SYSFAN5
SYSFAN4 JWL1 J18
JUSB3
JFP2
JFP3
E7505 Master-LS2 (MS-9121 v1.X) E-ATX Mainboard
1-5
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
MSI Special Features
PC Alert™ III
The PC AlertTM III is a utility you can find in the CD-ROM disk. The
utility is just like your PC doctor that can detect the following PC hardware status during
real time operation:
Ø monitor CPU & system temperatures
Ø monitor fan speed(s)
Ø monitor system voltage
Ø monitor chassis intrusion
If one of the items above is abnormal,
the program main screen will be immediately
shown on the screen, with the abnormal item
highlighted in red. This will continue to be
shown until user disables the warning.
MSI Reminds You...
Items shown on PC Alert™ III vary depending on your system status.
1-6
Getting Started
Live BIOS™/Live Driver™
The Live BIOS™/Live Driver™ is a tool used to detect and
update your BIOS/drivers online so that you don’t need to search
for the correct BIOS/driver version throughout the Web site. To
use the function, you need to install the “MSI Live Update 2”
application. After the installation, the “MSI Live Update 2” icon
(as shown on the right) will appear on the screen.
Double click the “MSI Live Update 2” icon, and the following screen will appear:
Five buttons are placed on the leftmost pane of the screen. Click the desired
button to start the update process.
z Live BIOS – Updates the BIOS online.
z Live Driver – Updates the drivers online.
z Live VGA BIOS – Updates the VGA BIOS online.
z Live VGA Driver – Updates the VGA driver online.
z Live Utility – Updates the utilities online.
If the product you purchased does not support any of the functions listed
above, a “sorry” message is displayed. For more information on the update
instructions, insert the companion CD and refer to the “Live Update Guide”
under the “Manual” Tab.
1-7
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
Live Monitor™
The Live Monitor™ is a tool used to schedule the search
for the latest BIOS/drivers version on the MSI Web site. To use
the function, you need to install the “MSI Live Update 2”
application. After installation, the “MSI Live Monitor” icon (as
shown on the right) will appear on the screen. Double click this
icon to run the application.
Double click the “MSI Live Monitor” icon
at the lower-right corner
of the taskbar, and the following dialog box will appear. You can specify how
often the system will automatically search for the BIOS/drivers version, or
change the LAN settings right from the dialog box.
You can right-click the MSI Live Monitor icon
to perform the functions
listed below:
z Auto Search – Searches for the BIOS/drivers version you need immediately.
z View Last Result – Allows you to view the last search result if there is any.
z Preference – Configures the Search function, including the Search schedule.
z Exit – Exits the Live Monitor™ application.
z FAQ – Provides a link to a database which contents various possible questions
about MSI's products for users to inquire.
1-8
Hardware Setup
Chapter 2. Hardware
Setup
Hardware Setup
This chapter provides you with the information about hardware setup procedures. While doing the installation, be careful
in holding the components and follow the installation
procedures. For some components, if you install in the wrong
orientation, the components will not work properly.
Use a grounded wrist strap before handling computer
components. Static electricity may damage the components.
2-1
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
Quick Components Guide
CPUFAN1
SYSFAN1, p.2-16
CPU, p.2-3
POWER1, p.2-8
POWER2, p.2-8
DIMM1~4,
p.2-6
FDD1,
p.2-14
Back Panel
I/O, p.2-9
IDE1/2,
p.2-15
CPUFAN2
SYSFAN2,
p.2-16
JCD1, p.2-19
JCI1,
p.2-14
JBAT1, p.2-21
AGP Pro, p.2-25
J12, p.2-22
SCSI 1
SCSI 2,
p.2-20
J14, p.2-23
PCI Slots, p.2-25
J17, p.2-24
JFP3, p.2-17
Mini PCI, p.2-26
2-2
SYSFAN3
SYSFAN4
SYSFAN5,
p.2-16
JFP2, p.2-17
JUSB3, p.2-18
J16, p.2-23
J18, p.2-18
JWL1, p.2-19
Hardware Setup
Central Processing Unit: CPU
The mainboard supports Single/Dual Intel® Xeon™ processors and uses
two CPU sockets called Socket 604 for easy CPU installation. You can install
SINGLE or DUAL CPUs on the board to meet your own needs. Keep the
following points in mind before installing CPU(s):
1. If SINGLE CPU is intended, always install the CPU on the CPU1
socket.
CPU1
2. To install DUAL CPUs on the board, you must use the same type
of CPUs running at the same FSB frequency.
When you are installing the CPU, make sure the CPU has a Heat Sink
and a cooling fan attached on the top to prevent overheating. If you do
not find the Heat Sink and cooling fan, contact your dealer to purchase and
install them before turning on the computer.
2-3
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
CPU Installation Procedures
Open Lever
1. Please turn off the power and
unplug the power cord before
installing the CPU.
Sliding
Plate
2. Pull the lever sideways away
from the socket. Make sure to
raise the lever up to a 90-degree angle.
3. Look for the gold arrow. The
gold arrow should point towards the lever pivot. The
CPU can only fit in the correct orientation.
Gold Arrow
4. If the CPU is correctly
installed, the pins should be
completely embedded into the
socket and can not be seen.
Please note that any violation
of the correct installation procedures may cause permanent
damages to your mainboard.
Close Lever
5. Press the CPU down firmly
into the socket and close the
lever. As the CPU is likely to
move while the lever is being
closed, always close the lever
with your fingers pressing
tightly on top of the CPU to
make sure the CPU is properly and completely embedded into the socket.
2-4
Hardware Setup
CPU Core Speed Derivation Procedure
If
CPU Clock
Core/Bus ratio
then CPU core speed
=
=
=
=
=
100MHz
14
Host Clock x Core/Bus ratio
100MHz x 14
1.4 GHz
MSI Reminds You...
Overheating
Overheating will seriously damage the CPU and system, always make sure the cooling fan can work properly to protect
the CPU from overheating.
Replacing the CPU
While replacing the CPU, always turn off the ATX power supply or unplug the power supply’s power cord from grounded
outlet first to ensure the safety of CPU.
2-5
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
Memory
The mainboard provides 4 slots for 184-pin DDR DIMM (Double InLine Memory Module) modules and supports the memory size up to 8 GB.
You can install PC2100/DDR266 or PC1600/DDR200 DDR SDRAM modules on the DDR DIMM slots (DIMM 1~4).
DDR DIMM Slots
(DIMM 1~4)
Memory Speed/CPU FSB Support Matrix
DDR200
400MHz FSB Yes
533MHz FSB No
DDR266
Yes
Yes
DIMM Module Combination
Install at least two DIMM modules on the slots. Each DIMM slot supports up to a maximum size of 2GB. You can install either single- or doublesided modules to meet your own needs, but memory modules must be installed on the board IN PAIRS.
2-6
Hardware Setup
Memory modules can be installed in any combination as follows:
DIMM1
128MB~2GB
DIMM2
128MB~2GB
128MB~2GB
128MB~2GB
DIMM3
DIMM4
128MB~2GB
128MB~2GB
128MB~2GB
128MB~2GB
System Density
256MB~4GB
256MB~4GB
512MB~8GB
MSI Reminds You...
Make sure that you install memory modules of the same type and
density on DDR DIMMs “in pairs” -- {DIMM1 & DIMM2}
{DIMM3 & DIMM4}.
Installing DDR Modules
1. The DDR DIMM has only one notch on the center of module. The module will only fit in the right orientation.
2. Insert the DIMM memory module vertically into the DIMM slot. Then
push it in until the golden finger on the memory module is deeply inserted in the socket.
MSI Reminds You...
You can barely see the golden finger if the module is properly
inserted in the socket.
3. The plastic clip at each side of the DIMM slot will automatically close.
Volt
Notch
2-7
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
Power Supply
The mainboard supports SSI power supply for the power system. Before inserting the power supply connector, always make sure that all components are installed properly to ensure that no damage will be caused.
SSI 24-Pin Power Connector: POWER1
This connector allows you to connect to an SSI power supply. To connect to
the SSI power supply, make sure the plug of the power supply is inserted in
the proper orientation and the pins are aligned. Then push down the power
supply firmly into the connector.
SSI 8-Pin Power Connector: POWER2
This connector provides 12V power output to the CPU.
13
24
12
POWER1
8
5
4
1
POWER2
POWER1 Pin Definition
2-8
PIN
SIGNAL
PIN
SIGNAL
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
+3.3V
+3.3V
GND
+5V
GND
+5V
GND
PWR OK
5VSB
+12V
+12V
12
+3.3V
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
+3.3V
-12V
GND
PS-ON#
GND
GND
GND
3VSB
+5V
+5V
+5V
GND
POWER2 Pin Definition
PIN
SIGNAL
PIN
SIGNAL
1
2
3
4
GND
GND
GND
GND
5
6
7
8
+12V
+12V
+12V
+12V
1
Hardware Setup
Back Panel
The back panel provides the following connectors:
Parallel
Mouse
MIC
L-In
L-Out
Keyboard
USB
COM B
COM A
LAN
Mouse Connector
The mainboard provides a standard PS/2® mouse mini DIN connector
for attaching a PS/2® mouse. You can plug a PS/2® mouse directly into this
connector. The connector location and pin assignments are as follows:
Pin Definition
6
5
3
4
2
1
PS/2 Mouse (6-pin Female)
PIN
SIGNAL
DESCRIPTION
1
2
3
4
5
6
Mouse DATA
NC
GND
VCC
Mouse Clock
NC
Mouse DATA
No connection
Ground
+5V
Mouse clock
No connection
2-9
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
Keyboard Connector
The mainboard provides a standard PS/2® keyboard mini DIN connector for attaching a PS/2® keyboard. You can plug a PS/2® keyboard directly
into this connector.
Pin Definition
6
5
3
4
1
2
PS/2 Keyboard (6-pin Female)
PIN
SIGNAL
DESCRIPTION
1
2
3
4
5
6
Keyboard DATA
NC
GND
VCC
Keyboard Clock
NC
Keyboard DATA
No connection
Ground
+5V
Keyboard clock
No connection
USB Connectors
The mainboard provides a UHCI (Universal Host Controller Interface)
Universal Serial Bus root for attaching USB devices such as keyboard, mouse
or other USB-compatible devices. You can plug the USB device directly into
the connector.
USB Port Description
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
USB Ports
2-10
PIN
SIGNAL
DESCRIPTION
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
VCC
-Data 0
+Data0
GND
VCC
-Data 1
+Data 1
GND
+5V
Negative Data Channel 0
Positive Data Channel 0
Ground
+5V
Negative Data Channel 1
Positive Data Channel 1
Ground
Hardware Setup
Serial Port Connector: COM A & COM B
The mainboard offers two 9-pin male DIN connectors as serial port COM
A and COM B. The ports are 16550A high speed communication ports that
send/receive 16 bytes FIFOs. You can attach a serial mouse or other serial
devices directly to them.
Pin Definition
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9
9-Pin Male DIN Connectors
PIN
SIGNAL
DESCRIPTION
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
DCD
SIN
SOUT
DTR
GND
DSR
RTS
CTS
RI
Data Carry Detect
Serial In or Receive Data
Serial Out or Transmit Data
Data Terminal Ready)
Ground
Data Set Ready
Request To Send
Clear To Send
Ring Indicate
Audio Port Connectors
Line Out is a connector for Speakers or Headphones. Line In is used
for external CD player, Tape player, or other audio devices. Mic is a connector for microphones.
1/8” Stereo Audio Connectors
MIC
Line In
Line Out
2-11
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
Parallel Port Connector: LPT1
The mainboard provides a 25-pin female centronic connector as LPT.
A parallel port is a standard printer port that supports Enhanced Parallel Port
(EPP) and Extended Capabilities Parallel Port (ECP) mode.
13
1
14
25
Pin Definition
2-12
PIN
SIGNAL
DESCRIPTION
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
STROBE
DATA0
DATA1
DATA2
DATA3
DATA4
DATA5
DATA6
DATA7
ACK#
BUSY
PE
SELECT
AUTO FEED#
ERR#
INIT#
SLIN#
GND
GND
GND
GND
GND
GND
GND
GND
Strobe
Data0
Data1
Data2
Data3
Data4
Data5
Data6
Data7
Acknowledge
Busy
Paper End
Select
Automatic Feed
Error
Initialize Printer
Select In
Ground
Ground
Ground
Ground
Ground
Ground
Ground
Ground
Hardware Setup
RJ-45 LAN Jack: Giga-bit LAN
The mainboard provides one standard RJ-45 jack for connection to
Local Area Network (LAN). Giga-bit LAN enables data to be transferred at
1000, 100 or 10Mbps. Pin assignments vary depending on the transfer rates:
10/100Mbps or 1000Mbps. Note that Pin 1/2, 3/6, 4/5, 7/8 must work in pairs.
Please refer to the following for details:
Speed Indicator
Activity Indicator
8
1
RJ-45 LAN Jack
10/100 LAN Pin Definition
PIN
SIGNAL
1
TDP
DESCRIPTION
Transmit Differential Pair
2
TDN
Transmit Differential Pair
3
RDP
Receive Differential Pair
4
NC
Not Used
5
NC
Not Used
6
RDN
Receive Differential Pair
7
NC
Not Used
8
NC
Not Used
Giga-bit LAN Pin Definition
PIN
SIGNAL
1
D0P
DESCRIPTION
Differential Pair 0+
2
D0N
Differential Pair 0-
3
D1P
Differential Pair 1+
4
D2P
Differential Pair 2+
5
D2N
Differential Pair 2-
6
D1N
Differential Pair 1-
7
D3P
Differential Pair 3+
8
D3N
Differential Pair 3-
2-13
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
Connectors
The mainboard provides connectors to connect to FDD, IDE HDD, case,
modem, LAN, USB Ports, IR module and CPU/System/Power Supply FAN.
Floppy Disk Drive Connector: FDD1
The mainboard provides a standard floppy disk drive connector that
supports 360K, 720K, 1.2M, 1.44M and 2.88M floppy disk types.
FDD1
Chassis Intrusion Switch Connector: JCI1
This connector is connected to a 2-pin chassis switch. If the chassis is
opened, the switch will be short. The system will record this status and show
a warning message on the screen. To clear the warning, you must enter the
BIOS utility and clear the record.
JCI1
2-14
Hardware Setup
Hard Disk Connectors: IDE1/2
The mainboard has a 32-bit Enhanced PCI IDE and Ultra DMA 33/66/
100 controller that provides PIO mode 0~4, Bus Master, and Ultra DMA 33/
66/100 function. You can connect up to four hard disk drives, CD-ROM,
120MB Floppy (reserved for future BIOS) and other devices. These connectors support the provided IDE hard disk cable.
IDE2 IDE1
IDE1 (Primary IDE Connector)
The first hard drive should always be connected to IDE1. IDE1 can
connect a Master and a Slave drive. You must configure second hard
drive to Slave mode by setting the jumper accordingly.
IDE2 (Secondary IDE Connector)
IDE2 can also connect a Master and a Slave drive.
MSI Reminds You...
If you install two hard disks on cable, you must configure the
second drive to Slave mode by setting its jumper. Refer to the
hard disk documentation supplied by hard disk vendors for
jumper setting instructions.
2-15
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
Fan Power Connectors: CPUFAN1/2, SYSFAN1/2/3/4/5
The CPUFAN1/2 (processor fans) and SYSFAN1/2/3/4/5 (system fans)
support system cooling fan with +12V. It supports three-pin head connector.
When connecting the wire to the connectors, always take note that the red
wire is the positive and should be connected to the +12V, the black wire is
Ground and should be connected to GND. If the mainboard has a System
Hardware Monitor chipset on-board, you must use a specially designed fan
with speed sensor to take advantage of the CPU fan control.
SENSOR
+12V
GND
SENSOR
+12V
GND
SYSFAN1
CPUFAN1
SENSOR
+12V
GND
CPUFAN2
SENSOR
+12V
GND
SYSFAN2
SENSOR
+12V
GND
SENSOR
+12V
GND
SENSOR
+12V
GND
SYSFAN5
SYSFAN4
SYSFAN3
MSI Reminds You...
Always consult the vendors for proper CPU cooling fan.
2-16
Hardware Setup
Front Panel Connectors: JFP2, JFP3
The mainboard provides two front panel connectors for electrical connection to the front panel switches and LEDs. The JFP2 is compliant with
Intel® Front Panel I/O Connectivity Design Guide.
Power Power
LED
Switch
2
1
JFP2
10
9
HDD Reset
LED Switch
Speaker
JFP3
2
1
8
7
Power
LED
JFP3 Pin Definition
PIN
SIGNAL
PIN
SIGNAL
1
GND
2
SPK-
3
5
7
SLED
PLED
NC
4
6
8
BUZ+
BUZSPK+
JFP2 Pin Definition
PIN
SIGNAL
DESCRIPTION
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
HD_LED_P
FP PWR/SLP
HD_LED_N
FP PWR/SLP
RST_SW_N
PWR_SW_P
RST_SW_P
PWR_SW_N
RSVD_DNU
Hard disk LED pull-up
MSG LED pull-up
Hard disk active LED
MSG LED pull-up
Reset Switch low reference pull-down to GND
Power Switch high reference pull-up
Reset Switch high reference pull-up
Power Switch low reference pull-down to GND
Reserved. Do not use.
2-17
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
SCSI LED Connector: J18
Connect the J18 to the LED connector on the add-on SCSI adaptor and
the HDD LED will blink when add-on SCSI device is active.
Pin Definition
PIN
SIGNAL
1
2
3
4
VCC5
SCSI LED
HDD LED
VCC5
J18
1
4
Front USB Connector: JUSB3
The mainboard provides one front Universal Serial Bus connector for
users to connect optional USB ports.
Pin Definition
Pin
1
2
3
4
5
Description
+5V
+5V
USBP2USBP3USBP2+
2
1
10
9
JUSB3
2-18
Pin
6
7
8
9
10
Description
USBP3+
GND
GND
NC
Key Removed
Hardware Setup
CD-In Connector: JCD1
The connector is for CD-ROM audio connector.
JCD1
L GND
R
Wake On LAN Connector: JWL1
This connector allows you to connect to a LAN card with Wake On
LAN function. You can wake up the computer via remote control through a
local area network.
GND
MP_WAKEUP
1
5VSB
JWL1
MSI Reminds You...
To be able to use this function, you need a power supply that
provides enough power for this feature. (750 mA 5V Stand-by)
2-19
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
Ultra320 SCSI Connectors: SCSI 1/2
SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) is a hardware interface that
allows for connection of up to 15 peripheral devices. The mainboard provides onboard dual SCSI channels (SCSI 1 & SCSI 2) for you to connect
SCSI devices such as SCSI hard disks.
34
1
68
26
68-Pin Ultra320 SCSI Connector
SCSI 1
SCSI 2
2-20
Pin
Description
Pin
Description
1
+DB(12)
35
-DB(12)
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
+DB(13)
+DB(14)
+DB(15)
+DB(P1)
+DB(0)
+DB(1)
+DB(2)
+DB(3)
+DB(4)
+DB(5)
+DB(6)
+DB(7)
+DB(P)
GROUND
DIFFSENS
TERMPWR
TERMPWR
RESERVED
GROUND
+ATN
GROUND
+BSY
+ACK
+RST
+MSG
+SEL
+C/D
+REQ
+I/O
+DB(8)
+DB(9)
+DB(10)
+DB(11)
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
-DB(13)
-DB(14)
-DB(15)
-DB(P1)
-DB(0)
-DB(1)
-DB(2)
-DB(3)
-DB(4)
-DB(5)
-DB(6)
-DB(7)
-DB(P)
GROUND
GROUND
TERMPWR
TERMPWR
RESERVED
GROUND
-ATN
GROUND
-BSY
-ACK
-RST
-MST
-SEL
-C/D
-REQ
-I/O
-DB(8)
-DB(9)
-DB(10)
-DB(11)
Hardware Setup
Jumpers
The motherboard provides the following jumpers for you to set the
computer’s function. This section will explain how to change your
motherboard’s function through the use of jumpers.
Clear CMOS Jumper: JBAT1
There is a CMOS RAM on board that has a power supply from external
battery to keep the data of system configuration. With the CMOS RAM, the
system can automatically boot OS every time it is turned on. If you want to
clear the system configuration, use the JBAT1 (Clear CMOS Jumper ) to clear
data. Follow the instructions below to clear the data:
JBAT1
1
1
3
Keep Data
1
3
Clear Data
MSI Reminds You...
You can clear CMOS by shorting 2-3 pin while the system is off.
Then return to 1-2 pin position. Avoid clearing the CMOS while
the system is on; it will damage the mainboard.
2-21
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
System Configure Jumper: J12
The J12 jumper determines which mode the system will enter while
powered on. During Normal Mode, the system will enter the assigned OS as
usual. During Configure Mode, the system will directly enter BIOS setup
utility. This enables you to modify the BIOS configurations. During Recovery
Mode, you have to insert certain boot disk into the floppy drive before powering on the system. After powered on, the system will read the boot disk and
enter DOS. This enables you to update the BIOS with a Flash utility if necessary.
J12
1
1
3
Normal Mode
2-22
1
3
1
3
Configure Mode Recovery Mode
Hardware Setup
BIOS Flash Jumper: J14
This jumper is used to protect the BIOS boot block from virus infection.
When locked, the BIOS boot block cannot be accessed, making BIOS update
impossible. When BIOS update is intended, short pin 2 & 3 to disable BIOS
flash protection.
J14
1
1
3
BIOS flash locked
1
3
BIOS flash unlocked
Buzzer Enable/Disable Jumper: J16
This jumper is used to enable/disable the onboard buzzer.
1
3
Disable Buzzer
1
3
Enable Buzzer
J16
1
2-23
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
ASR Enable/Disable Jumper: J17
This jumper is used to enable/disable the ASR (Auto Server Reboot)
function.
J17
Disable ASR
2-24
Enable ASR
Hardware Setup
Slots
The motherboard provides one AGP Pro slot, one 32-bit Master PCI
slot, one Mini PCI slot, and four 64-bit PCI-X slots.
AGP Pro Slot
32-bit PCI Slot
64-bit PCI-X Slots
Mini PCI Slot
AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) Pro Slot
The AGP Pro slot allows you to insert the AGP/AGP Pro graphics card.
AGP is an interface specification designed for the throughput demands of 3D
graphics. It introduces a 66MHz, 32-bit channel for the graphics controller to
directly access main memory.
PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) Slots
The PCI slots allow you to insert the expansion cards to meet your needs.
When adding or removing expansion cards, make sure that you unplug the
power supply first. Meanwhile, read the documentation for the expansion card
to make any necessary hardware or software settings for the expansion card,
such as jumpers, switches or BIOS configuration. One PCI slot is conventional 32-bit PCI bus slot and the other four are 64-bit PCI bus (also called
PCI-X) slots.
32-bit PCI bus: The bus has 32 data lines and runs at 33MHz.
64-bit PCI-X bus: The bus has 64 data lines and runs at 100MHz.
With twice data lines and much faster PCI clock, the 64-bit PCI bus
increases the throughput and overall system performance. The 64-bit
PCI-X Slot 3 in GREEN color is the only PCI slot where the Zero
Channel RAID (ZCR) card can be installed.
2-25
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
Mini PCI bus: This bus is used to connect the MS-9513 VGA card or
MS-9514 IEEE 1394 card.
MS-9513 VGA card
Installing the card:
MS-9514 IEEE 1394 card
Mini PCI slot
1. Locate the Mini PCI slot on the
mainboard.
2. Place the card over the Mini PCI slot
and gently insert both ends of the card
slantways (at an angle of 45 degrees)
into the slot until the golden finger of
the card gets fully inserted into the slot.
MSI Reminds You...
You can barely see the golden finger if the card is properly
inserted in the socket.
2-26
Hardware Setup
3. Locate the supporters on the
mainboard (one on the right end and
the other on the left end). Align the two
fixing holes on the card with the supporters and press the card carefully
down until the fixing holes get locked
by the supporters.
supporters
4. Push the retaining clips (on two ends
of the slot) inwards until they lock onto
the notches in the ends of the card. The
card should securely fit into the slot.
Removing the card:
1. Gently push the retaining clips
outwards. Hold the card lightly but
firmly. Use long nose pliers to clip one
of the supporters and press it downwards until it withdraws from the fix-
supporter
ing hole.
2-27
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
2. Clip the other supporter and press it
downwards until it withdraws from the
fixing hole.
supporter
3. The card will automatically bound
upwards after being released from the
supporters.
4. Remove the card from the Mini PCI
slot.
2-28
Hardware Setup
Interrupt Request Routing
The IRQ, acronym of interrupt request line and pronounced I-R-Q, are
hardware lines over which devices can send interrupt signals to the
microprocessor.
DEVICE
INT A#
INT B#
INT C#
AGP
PIRQA_L
PIRQB_L
N/A
INT D#
N/A
PCI Slot 1
PIRQF_L
PIRQG_L
PIRQH_L
PIRQE_L
N/A
PCI Slot 2 (Mini PCI)
PIRQG_L
N/A
N/A
P64H2
PIRQC_L
N/A
N/A
N/A
LSI53C1030
PAIRQ8
PAIRQ9
N/A
N/A
PCI-X Slot 3 (SCSI RAID)
PAIRQ0
PAIRQ1
N/A
N/A
PCI-X Slot 4
PAIRQ4
PAIRQ5
PAIRQ6
PAIRQ7
GIGABIT LAN
PBIRQ0
N/A
N/A
N/A
PCI-X Slot 1
PBIRQ4
PBIRQ5
PBIRQ6
PBIRQ7
PCI-X Slot 2
PBIRQ8
PBIRQ9
PBIRQ10
PBIRQ11
MS-9513 (VGA Card)
PIRQG_L
N/A
N/A
N/A
MS-9514 (1394 Card)
PIRQG_L
N/A
N/A
N/A
2-29
BIOS Setup
Chapter 3. BIOS Setup
BIOS Setup
This chapter provides information on the BIOS Setup program and allows you to configure the system for optimum use.
You may need to run the Setup program when:
” An error message appears on the screen during the system
booting up, and requests you to run SETUP.
” You want to change the default settings for customized
features.
3-1
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
Entering Setup
Power on the computer and the system will start POST (Power On Self
Test) process. When the message below appears on the screen, press <DEL>
key to enter Setup.
Press DEL to enter SETUP
If the message disappears before you respond and you still wish to enter
Setup, restart the system by turning it OFF and On or pressing the RESET
button. You may also restart the system by simultaneously pressing <Ctrl>,
<Alt>, and <Delete> keys.
Control Keys
<↑>
Move to the previous item
<↓>
Move to the next item
<←>
Move to the item in the left hand
<→>
Move to the item in the right hand
<Enter>
Select the item
<Esc>
Jumps to the Exit menu or returns to the main menu from a submenu
<+/PU>
Increase the numeric value or make changes
<-/PD>
Decrease the numeric value or make changes
<F1>
General help, only for Status Page Setup Menu and Option Page
<F5>
Restore the previous CMOS value from CMOS, only for Option Page
Setup Menu
Setup Menu
<F6>
Load the default CMOS value from Fail-Safe default table, only for
Option Page Setup Menu
3-2
<F7>
Load Optimized defaults
<F10>
Save all the CMOS changes and exit
BIOS Setup
Getting Help
After entering the Setup menu, the first menu you will see is the Main
Menu.
Main Menu
The main menu lists the setup functions you can make changes to. You
can use the arrow keys ( ↑↓ ) to select the item. The on-line description of the
highlighted setup function is displayed at the bottom of the screen.
Sub-Menu
If you find a right pointer symbol (as shown in the right view) appears
to the left of certain fields that means a submenu can be launched from this field. A
sub-menu contains additional options for a
field parameter. You can use arrow keys (
↑↓ ) to highlight the field and press <Enter>
to call up the sub-menu. Then you can use
the control keys to enter values and move from field to field within a submenu. If you want to return to the main menu, just press the <Esc >.
General Help <F1>
The BIOS setup program provides a General Help screen. You can call
up this screen from any menu by simply pressing <F1>. The Help screen lists
the appropriate keys to use and the possible selections for the highlighted
item. Press <Esc> to exit the Help screen.
MSI Reminds You...
The items under each BIOS category described in this chapter
are under continuous update for better system performance.
Therefore, the description may be slightly different from the latest BIOS and should be held for reference only.
3-3
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
The Main Menu
Once you enter Award Workstation BIOS CMOS Setup Utility, the Main
Menu will appear on the screen. The Main Menu displays twelve configurable
functions and two exit choices. Use arrow keys to move among the items and
press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu.
Standard CMOS Features
Use this menu for basic system configurations, such as time, date etc.
Advanced BIOS Features
Use this menu to configure the special enhanced features.
Advanced Chipset Features
Use this menu to change the values in the chipset registers and optimize your
system’s performance.
Integrated Peripherals
Use this menu to specify your settings for integrated peripherals.
Power Management Setup
Use this menu to specify your settings for power management.
3-4
BIOS Setup
PNP/PCI Configurations
This entry appears if your system supports PnP/PCI.
PC Health Status
This entry shows your PC health status.
Frequency/Voltage Control
Use this menu to specify your settings for frequency/voltage control.
Load Fail-Safe Defaults
Use this menu to load the BIOS default values for minimal but stable system
performance.
Load Optimized Defaults
Use this menu to load the BIOS default values that are factory settings for
optimal system operations.
Set Supervisor/User Password
Use this menu to set user and supervisor passwords.
Save & Exit Setup
Save changes to CMOS and exit setup.
Exit Without Saving
Abandon all changes and exit setup.
3-5
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
Standard CMOS Features
The items inside Standard CMOS Features menu are divided into 10
categories. Each category includes none, one or more setup items. Use the
arrow keys to highlight the item you want to modify and use the <PgUp> or
<PgDn> keys to switch to the value you prefer.
Date (mm:dd:yy)
This allows you to set the system to the date that you want (usually the current
date). The format is <day><month> <date> <year>.
day
Day of the week, from Sun to Sat, determined by
BIOS. Read-only.
month
The month from Jan. through Dec.
date
The date from 1 to 31 can be keyed by numeric
function keys.
year
The year can be adjusted by users.
Time (hh:mm:ss)
This allows you to set the system time that you want (usually the current
time). The time format is <hour> <minute> <second>.
IDE Primary/Secondary Master/Slave
Press PgUp/<+> or PgDn/<-> to select Manual, None, Auto type. Note that
the specifications of your drive must match with the drive table. The hard disk
3-6
BIOS Setup
will not work properly if you enter improper information for this category. If
your hard disk drive type is not matched or listed, you can use Manual to
define your own drive type manually.
If you select Manual, related information is asked to be entered to the following items. Enter the information directly from the keyboard. This information
should be provided in the documentation from your hard disk vendor or the
system manufacturer.
If the controller of HDD interface is SCSI, the selection shall be “None”. If
the controller of HDD interface is CD-ROM, the selection shall be “None”.
Access Mode
The settings are CHS, LBA, Large, Auto.
Capacity
The formatted size of the storage device.
Cylinder
Number of cylinders.
Head
Number of heads.
Precomp
Write precompensation.
Landing Zone Cylinder location of the landing zone.
Sector
Number of sectors.
Drive A/B
This item allows you to set the type of floppy drives installed. Available
options are None, 360K, 5.25 in., 1.2M, 5.25 in., 720K, 3.5 in., 1.44M, 3.5 in.,
2.88M, 3.5 in.
Video
The setting controls the type of video adapter used for the primary monitor of
the system. Available options are EGA/VGA , CGA 40, CGA 80 and Mono.
Halt On
The setting determines whether the system will stop if an error is detected at
boot. Available options are:
All Errors
No Errors
All, But Keyboard
All, But Diskette
All, But Disk/Key
The system stops when any error is detected.
The system doesn’t stop for any detected error.
The system doesn’t stop for a keyboard error.
The system doesn’t stop for a disk error.
The system doesn’t stop for either a disk or a keyboard error.
3-7
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
Advanced BIOS Features
Virus Warning
The item is to set the Virus Warning feature for IDE Hard Disk boot sector
protection. If the function is enabled and any attempt to write data into this
area is made, BIOS will display a warning message on screen and beep. Setting options: Disabled, Enabled.
CPU L1 & L2 Cache
Cache memory is additional memory that is much faster than conventional
DRAM (system memory). When the CPU requests data, the system transfers
the requested data from the main DRAM into cache memory, for even faster
access by the CPU. The settings enable/disable the internal cache (also known
as L1 or level 1 cache) and external cache (also known as L2 or level 2 cache).
Setting options: Disabled, Enabled.
CPU L3 Cache
Level 3 cache is the extra cache built into motherboards between the microprocessor and the main memory. Located away from the CPU, the L3 cache is
slower than the L1 & L2 caches. This setting allows you to turn on or off the
L3 cache. Setting options: Enabled, Disabled.
CPU Hyper-Threading
With Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology, a single Hyper-Threading-enabled
3-8
BIOS Setup
processor can simultaneously process two threads of code, improving the performance of multi-threaded code running on a single processor platform. Setting this function to Enabled will improve overall system performance, increase number of users a platform can support, improve reaction and response
time, and increase number of transaction that can be executed. Setting options:
Enabled, Disabled.
MSI Reminds You...
Enabling the functionality of Hyper-Threading Technology for your
computer system requires ALL of the following platform
Components:
*CPU: Intel ® Pentium ® 4 or Xeon™ Processors with HT
Technology;
*Chipset: Intel® Chipsets that support HT Technology;
*BIOS: A BIOS that supports HT Technology and has it enabled;
*OS: An operating system that supports HT Technology.
For more information on Hyper-threading Technology, go to:
http://www.intel.com/info/hyperthreading
First/Second/Third Boot Device
The items allow you to set the sequence of boot devices where BIOS attempts
to load the disk operating system. The settings are:
Floppy
The system will boot from floppy drive.
LS120
The system will boot from LS-120 drive.
HDD-0
The system will boot from the first HDD.
SCSI
The system will boot from the SCSI device.
CDROM
The system will boot from the CD-ROM.
HDD-1
The system will boot from the second HDD if available.
HDD-2
The system will boot from the third HDD if available.
HDD-3
The system will boot from the fourth HDD if available.
ZIP100
The system will boot from ATAPI ZIP drive.
LAN
The system will boot from the network drive.
Disabled
Disable this sequence.
MSI Reminds You...
Available settings for “First/Second/Third Boot Device” vary
depending on the bootable devices you have installed. For
example, if you did not install a floppy drive, the setting “Floppy”
does not show up.
3-9
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
Boot Other Device
Setting the option to Enabled allows the system to try to boot from other
devices if the system fails to boot from the 1st/2nd/3rd boot device.
Swap Floppy Drive
Setting to Enabled will swap floppy drives A: and B:.
Boot Up Floppy Seek
This setting causes the BIOS to search for floppy disk drives at boot time.
When enabled, the BIOS will activate the floppy disk drives during the boot
process: the drive activity light will come on and the head will move back and
forth once. First A: will be done and then B: if it exists. Setting options:
Disabled, Enabled.
Floppy Disk Access Control
This setting controls the write protection for floppy drives. Setting options: R/
W, Read Only.
Boot Up NumLock Status
This setting is to set the Num Lock status when the system is powered on.
Setting to On will turn on the Num Lock key when the system is powered on.
Setting to Off will allow users to use the arrow keys on the numeric keypad.
Setting options: On, Off.
Gate A20 Option
This item is to set the Gate A20 status. A20 refers to the first 64KB of extended memory. When the default value Fast is selected, the Gate A20 is
controlled by Port92 or chipset specific method resulting in faster system
performance. When Normal is selected, A20 is controlled by a keyboard controller or chipset hardware.
Typematic Rate Setting
This item is used to enable or disable the typematic rate setting including
Typematic Rate & Typematic Delay.
Typematic Rate (Chars/Sec)
After Typematic Rate Setting is enabled, this item allows you to set the rate
(characters/second) at which the keys are accelerated. Settings: 6, 8, 10, 12,
15, 20, 24 and 30.
3-10
BIOS Setup
Typematic Delay (Msec)
This item allows you to select the delay between when the key was first pressed
and when the acceleration begins. Settings: 250, 500, 750 and 1000.
Security Option
This specifies the type of BIOS password protection that is implemented. Settings are described below:
Option
Setup
Description
The password prompt appears only when end users try to
run Setup.
System
A password prompt appears every time when the computer is powered on or when end users try to run Setup.
MPS Version Control For OS
This field allows you to select which MPS (Multi-Processor Specification)
version to be used for the operating system. You need to select the MPS version supported by your operating system. To find out which version to use,
consult the vendor of your operating system. Settings: 1.4, 1.1.
OS Select For DRAM > 64MB
This allows you to run the OS/2® operating system with DRAM larger than
64MB. When you choose Non-OS2, you cannot run the OS/2® operating
system with DRAM larger than 64MB. But it is possible if you choose OS2.
Report No FDD For WIN 95
For compatibility with Windows 95 logo certification, select Yes to release
IRQ6 when the system contains no floppy drive. When this setting is set to
Yes, users have to select Disabled for the Onboard FDC Controller in the
Integrated Peripherals menu. Setting options: Yes, No.
Small Logo(EPA) Show
This item enables you to show the EPA logo (brand specific graphics) on the
bootup screen. Settings are:
Disabled
Shows the normal POST screen at boot.
Enabled
Shows a still image (EPA logo) on the screen at boot.
3-11
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
Advanced Chipset Features
MSI Reminds You...
Change these settings only if you are familiar with the chipset.
DRAM Timing Control
Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears:
DRAM Timing Configure
This setting determines whether DRAM timing is configured by reading
the contents of the SPD (Serial Presence Detect) EEPROM on the DRAM
3-12
BIOS Setup
module. Selecting By SPD makes the following settings automatically
determined by BIOS according to the configurations on the SPD. Setting
options: By SPD, Manual.
CAS Latency Time
This setting controls the timing delay (in clock cycles) before SDRAM
starts a read command after receiving it. Setting options: 1.5, 2, 2.5
(clocks). 1.5 (clocks) increases the system performance the most while
2.5 (clocks) provides the most stable performance.
Active to Precharge Delay
This setting controls the number of clock cycles for DRAM to be allowed to precharge from the active state. Setting options: 7, 6, 5.
DRAM RAS# to CAS# Delay
When DRAM is refreshed, both rows and columns are addressed
separately. This setup item allows you to determine the timing of the
transition from RAS (row address strobe) to CAS (column address strobe).
The less the clock cycles, the faster the DRAM performance. Setting
options: 3, 2.
DRAM RAS# Precharge
This item controls the number of cycles for Row Address Strobe (RAS)
to be allowed to precharge. If insufficient time is allowed for the RAS to
accumulate its charge before DRAM refresh, refresh may be incomplete
and DRAM may fail to retain data. This item applies only when synchronous DRAM is installed in the system. Setting options: 2, 3.
DRAM Data Integrity Mode
Select ECC (Error-Checking & Correcting Code) or Non-ECC according to
the type of DRAM installed.
System BIOS Cacheable
Selecting Enabled allows caching of the system BIOS ROM at F0000hFFFFFh, resulting in better system performance. However, if any program
writes to this memory area, a system error may result. Setting options: Enabled,
Disabled.
Video BIOS Cacheable
Selecting Enabled allows caching of the video BIOS ROM at C0000h to
3-13
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
C7FFFh, resulting in better video performance. However, if any program writes
to this memory area, a system error may result. Setting options: Disabled,
Enabled.
Memory Hole At 15M-16M
In order to improve performance, certain space in memory can be reserved
for ISA cards. This memory must be mapped into the memory space below
16MB. When this area is reserved, it cannot be cached. Setting options:
Disabled, Enabled.
Delayed Transaction
The chipset has an embedded 32-bit posted write buffer to support delayed
transactions cycles so that transactions to and from the ISA bus are buffered
and PCI bus can perform other transactions while the ISA transaction is
underway. Select Enabled to support compliance with PCI specification version 2.1. Setting options: Enabled, Disabled.
Delay Prior to Thermal
When the CPU temperature reaches a factory preset level, a thermal monitoring mechanism will be enabled following the appropriate timing delay specified in this field. With the thermal monitoring enabled, clock modulation
controlled by the processor’s internal thermal sensor is also activated to keep
the processor within allowable temperature limit. Setting options: 4 Min, 8
Min, 16 Min, 32 Min.
AGP Aperture Size (MB)
This setting controls just how much system RAM can be allocated to AGP for
video purposes. The aperture is a portion of the PCI memory address range
dedicated to graphics memory address space. Host cycles that hit the aperture
range are forwarded to the AGP without any translation. The option allows
the selection of an aperture size of 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, and 256 (MB).
4X Override
This setting allows you to manually set the AGP mode of your system. The
setting you choose depends on what mode your video card supports. Setting
options: 2X Mode, No Override.
Init Display First
This setting specifies which VGA card is your primary graphics adapter. Setting options: PCI Slot, AGP.
3-14
BIOS Setup
Integrated Peripherals
Super IO Device
Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears:
Onboard FDC Controller
Select Enabled if your system has a floppy disk controller (FDD) installed on the system board and you wish to use it. If you install add-on
FDC or the system has no floppy drive, select Disabled in this field. The
settings are: Enabled and Disabled.
Onboard Serial Port 1/Port 2
Select an address and corresponding interrupt for the first and second
3-15
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
serial ports. The settings are: 3F8/IRQ4, 2E8/IRQ3, 3E8/IRQ4, 2F8/IRQ3,
Disabled, Auto.
UART Mode Select
This setting allows you to specify the operation mode for serial port 2.
Setting options: Standard, IrDA SIR, Sharp IR.
Standard
RS-232C Serial Port
IrDA SIR
IrDA-compliant Serial Infrared Port
Sharp IR
Amplitude Shift Keyed Infrared Port
Onboard Parallel Port
There is a built-in parallel port on the on-board Super I/O chipset that
provides Standard, ECP, and EPP features. It has the following options:
Disabled
3BC/IRQ7 Line Printer port 0
278/IRQ5
Line Printer port 2
378/IRQ7
Line Printer port 1
Parallel Port Mode
SPP: Standard Parallel Port
EPP 1.7/EPP 1.9: Enhanced Parallel Port
ECP: Extended Capability Port
ECP + EPP: Extended Capability Port + Enhanced Parallel Port
To operate the onboard parallel port as Standard Parallel Port only, choose
“SPP.” To operate the onboard parallel port in the EPP mode
simultaneously, choose “EPP.” By choosing “ECP”, the onboard parallel port will operate in ECP mode only. Choosing “ECP + EPP” will
allow the onboard parallel port to support both the ECP and EPP modes
simultaneously.
ECP Mode Use DMA
The ECP mode has to use the DMA channel, so choose the onboard
parallel port with the ECP feature. After selecting it, the following message will appear: “ECP Mode Use DMA.” At this time, the user can
choose between DMA channel 3 or 1.
PWRON After PWR-Fail
This setting specifies whether your system will reboot after a power failure or interrupts occurs. Available settings are:
3-16
BIOS Setup
Off
On
Former-Sts
Leaves the computer in the power off state.
Reboots the computer.
Restores the system to the status before power failure or
interrupt occurs.
OnChip IDE Device
Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears:
IDE HDD Block Mode
This allows your hard disk controller to use the fast block mode to transfer data to and from the hard disk drive. Block mode is also called block
transfer, multiple commands or multiple sector read/write. Enabled enables IDE controller to use block mode; Disabled allows the controller to
use standard mode.
On-Chip Primary/Secondary PCI IDE
The integrated peripheral controller contains an IDE interface with support for two IDE channels. Choose Enabled to activate each channel
separately.
IDE Primary/Secondary Master/Slave PIO
The four items allow you to set a PIO (Programmed Input/Output) mode
for each of the four IDE devices that the onboard IDE interface supports.
Modes 0~4 provide increased performance. In Auto mode, BIOS automatically determines the best mode for each IDE device.
IDE Primary/Secondary Master/Slave UDMA
Ultra DMA implementation is possible only if your IDE device supports
3-17
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
it and your operating environment contains a DMA driver. If both your
hard drive and software support Ultra DMA 33 (or higher), select Auto
to enable BIOS support.
Onboard Device
Press <Enter> to enter the sub-menu and the following screen appears:
USB Controller
Select Enabled if your system contains a Universal Serial Bus (USB)
controller and you have USB peripherals. Setting options: Enabled,
Disabled.
USB Keyboard Support
Set to Enabled if your need to use an USB keyboard in the operating
system that does not support or have any USB driver installed, such as
DOS and SCO Unix.
AC’97 Audio
This setting is used to enable or disable the onboard AC’97 (Audio
Codec’97) feature. Selecting Auto allows the mainboard to detect whether
an audio device is used. If an audio device is detected, the onboard AC’97
controller will be enabled; if not, the controller is disabled. Disable the
function if you want to use other controller cards to connect an audio
device. Setting options: Disabled and Auto.
Onboard LAN/SCSI Selection
These settings are used to disable/enable the onboard LAN/SCSI controllers.
Setting options: Disabled, Enabled.
3-18
BIOS Setup
Power Management Setup
MSI Reminds You...
S3-related functions described in this section are available only
when your BIOS supports S3 sleep mode.
ACPI Suspend Type
This setting specifies the power saving mode for ACPI function if your operating system supports ACPI, such as Windows 98SE, Windows ME and Windows 2000. The default setting:
S1/POS
The S1 sleep mode is a low power state. In this state, no
system context is lost (CPU or chipset) and hardware
maintains all system context.
Power Management
This item is used to select the degree (or type) of power saving and is related
to these modes: Suspend Mode and HDD Power Down. There are three options for power management:
Min Saving Minimum Power Management. Suspend Mode = 1 Hour.
Max Saving Maximum Power Management. Suspend Mode = 1 Min.
User Define Allows end users to configure each mode separately.
3-19
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
Video Off Method
This determines the manner in which the monitor is blanked.
V/H SYNC+Blank
This selection will cause the system to turn off
the vertical and horizontal synchronization ports
and write blanks to the video buffer.
Blank Screen
This option only writes blanks to the video buffer.
DPMS
Initial display power management signaling.
Video Off In Suspend
This setting determines whether the monitor will be turned off during suspend
mode. Setting options: Yes, No.
Suspend Type
This setting allows you to select the type of Suspend mode. Setting options:
Stop Grant (saves the state of the entire system to disk and then powers off the
system), PwrOn Suspend (the CPU and core system remain powered on in a
very low-power mode).
Modem Use IRQ
Name the interrupt request (IRQ) line assigned to the modem (if any) on your
system. Activity of the selected IRQ always awakens the system. Settings are
3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11 and NA.
Suspend Mode
If system activity is not detected for the length of time specified in this field,
all devices except CPU will be shut off. Settings are Disabled, 1 Min, 2 Min,
4 Min, 8 Min, 12 Min, 20 Min, 30 Min, 40 Min and 1 Hour.
HDD Power Down
When enabled and after the set time of system inactivity, the hard disk drive
will be powered down while all other devices remain active. The settings are:
Disable, 1~15 Min.
Soft-Off by PWR-BTTN
This feature allows users to configure the power button function. Settings are:
Instant-Off
The power button functions as a normal power-on/off button.
Delay 4 Sec.
When you press the power button, the computer en-
3-20
BIOS Setup
ters the suspend/sleep mode, but if the button is
pressed for more than four seconds, the computer is
turned off.
Wake Up by PCI Card, Power On by Ring
These settings specify whether the system will be awakened from power saving modes when activity or input signal of the specified hardware peripheral
or component is detected. Setting options: Enabled, Disabled.
MSI Reminds You...
You need to install a modem card supporting power on function
for “Power On by Ring” function.
Resume By Alarm
The field is used to enable or disable the feature of booting up the system on
a scheduled time/date.
Date (of Month) Alarm
The field specifies the date for Resume by Alarm. Settings: 0~31.
Time (hh:mm:ss) Alarm
The field specifies the time for Resume by Alarm. Format is <hour>
<minute><second>.
MSI Reminds You...
If you have changed this setting, you must let the system boot up
until it enters the operating system, before this function will work.
Reload Global Timer Events: Primary IDE 0/1, Secondary IDE 0/1, FDD/
COM/LPT Port, PCI PIRQ [A-D]#
Global Timer Events are I/O events whose occurrence can prevent the system
from entering a power saving mode or can awaken the system from such a
mode. In effect, the system remains alert for anything which occurs to a device that is configured as Enabled, even when the system is in a power down
mode.
3-21
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
PNP/PCI Configurations
This section describes configuring the PCI bus system and PnP (Plug &
Play) feature. PCI, or Peripheral Component Interconnect, is a system which
allows I/O devices to operate at speeds nearing the speed the CPU itself uses
when communicating with its special components. This section covers some
very technical items and it is strongly recommended that only experienced
users should make any changes to the default settings.
Reset Configuration Data
Normally, you leave this field Disabled. Select Enabled to reset Extended
System Configuration Data (ESCD) when you exit Setup if you have installed
a new add-on card and the system reconfiguration has caused such a serious
conflict that the operating system cannot boot. Setting options: Enabled,
Disabled.
Resource Controlled By
The Award Plug and Play BIOS has the capacity to automatically configure
all of the boot and Plug and Play compatible devices. However, this capability
means absolutely nothing unless you are using a Plug and Play operating system such as Windows® 95/98. If you set this field to “manual” choose specific
resources by going into each of the sub menu that follows this field (a sub
menu is preceded by a “¾”). The settings are: Auto (ESCD), Manual.
3-22
BIOS Setup
IRQ Resources
The items are adjustable only when Resources Controlled By is set to Manual.
Press <Enter> and you will enter the sub-menu of the items. IRQ Resources
list IRQ 3/4/5/7/9/10/11/12/14/15 for users to set each IRQ a type depending
on the type of device using the IRQ. Settings are:
PCI Device
For Plug & Play compatible devices designed for PCI
bus architecture.
Reserved
The IRQ will be reserved for further request.
PCI/VGA Palette Snoop
When set to Enabled, multiple VGA devices operating on different buses can
handle data from the CPU on each set of palette registers on every video
device. Bit 5 of the command register in the PCI device configuration space is
the VGA Palette Snoop bit (0 is disabled). For example, if there are two VGA
devices in the computer (one PCI and one ISA) and the:
VGA Palette Snoop
Bit Setting
Action
Disabled
Data read or written by the CPU is only directed to the PCI
VGA device’s palette registers.
Enabled
Data read or written by the CPU is directed to both the PCI
VGA device’s palette registers and the ISA VGA device’s
palette registers, permitting the palette registers of both VGA
devices to be identical.
The setting must be set to Enabled if any ISA bus adapter in the system requires VGA palette snooping.
PCI-X Frequency
This setting is used to set the frequency of the 64-bit PCI-X bus slots. Setting
options: Auto, 66MHz, 100MHz.
3-23
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
PC Health Status
This section shows the status of your CPU, fan, overall system status,
etc. Monitor function is available only if there is hardware monitoring mechanism onboard.
Case Open Warning
The field enables or disables the feature of recording the chassis intrusion
status and issuing a warning message if the chassis is once opened. To clear
the warning message, set the field to Reset. The setting of the field will automatically return to Enabled later. Setting options: Enabled, Reset, Disabled.
Warning Temperature
If the CPU temperature reaches the upper limit preset here, the warning mechanism will be activated. This helps to prevent the CPU overheating problem.
Shutdown Temperature
This option specifies the shutdown temperature level for the processor. When
the processor reaches the temperature preset, the system will be shut down.
Current CPU1/2 Temperature, System Temperature 1, Current
CPUFAN1/2 SYSFAN1/2/3 Speed, Vcore, VINR0, +3.3V, +5V, +12V, 12V, -5V, 5VSB, VBAT, VINR1
These items display the current status of all of the monitored hardware devices/components such as CPU voltages, temperatures and all fans’ speeds.
3-24
BIOS Setup
Frequency/Voltage Control
Use this menu to specify your settings for frequency/voltage control.
CPU Clock Ratio
This setting controls the multiplier that is used to determine the internal clock
speed of the processor relative to the external or motherboard clock speed.
Auto Detect DIMM/PCI Clk
This setting is used to auto detect the DIMM/PCI slots. When set to Enabled,
the system will remove (turn off) clocks from empty DIMM/PCI slots to minimize the electromagnetic interference (EMI). Setting options: Enabled,
Disabled.
Spread Spectrum
When the motherboard’s clock generator pulses, the extreme values (spikes)
of the pulses creates EMI (Electromagnetic Interference). The Spread Spectrum function reduces the EMI generated by modulating the pulses so that the
spikes of the pulses are reduced to flatter curves. If you do not have any EMI
problem, leave the setting at Disabled for optimal system stability and
performance. But if you are plagued by EMI, setting to Enabled for EMI
reduction. Remember to disable Spread Spectrum if you are overclocking
because even a slight jitter can introduce a temporary boost in clockspeed
which may just cause your overclocked processor to lock up.
3-25
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
Load Fail-Safe/Optimized Defaults
The two options on the main menu allow users to restore all of the BIOS
settings to the default Fail-Safe or Optimized values. The Optimized Defaults
are the default values set by the mainboard manufacturer specifically for optimal performance of the mainboard. The Fail-Safe Defaults are the default
values set by the BIOS vendor for stable system performance.
When you select Load Fail-Safe Defaults, a message as below appears:
Pressing Y loads the BIOS default values for the most stable, minimal
system performance.
When you select Load Optimized Defaults, a message as below appears:
Pressing Y loads the default factory settings for optimal system
performance.
3-26
BIOS Setup
Set Supervisor/User Password
When you select this function, a message as below will appear on the
screen:
Type the password, up to six characters in length, and press <Enter>.
The password typed now will replace any previously set password from CMOS
memory. You will be prompted to confirm the password. Retype the password and press <Enter>. You may also press <Esc> to abort the selection and
not enter a password.
To clear a set password, just press <Enter> when you are prompted to
enter the password. A message will show up confirming the password will be
disabled. Once the password is disabled, the system will boot and you can
enter Setup without entering any password.
When a password has been set, you will be prompted to enter it every
time you try to enter Setup. This prevents an unauthorized person from changing any part of your system configuration.
Additionally, when a password is enabled, you can also have Award
BIOS to request a password each time the system is booted. This would prevent unauthorized use of your computer. The setting to determine when the
password prompt is required is the Security Option of the ADVANCED BIOS
FEATURES menu. If the Security Option is set to System, the password is
required both at boot and at entry to Setup. If set to Setup, password prompt
only occurs when you try to enter Setup.
MSI Reminds You...
About Supervisor Password & User Password:
Supervisor password: Can enter and change the settings of
the setup menu.
User password:
Can only enter but do not have the
right to change the settings of the setup
menu.
3-27
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
Q: Where can I find the model number of the mainboard?
A: There are two places where you can find the model number of the mainboard:
1. Somewhere between the PCI slots you shall find MS-xxxx or the marketing
name like “K7T Turbo”. You can also find the version number beside it. 2. At
the back cover of the user's manual.
Q: What do you mean by PCB version 1?
A: PCB is printed circuit board. Saying PCB version 1 is the same as saying
motherboard version 1.
Q: Why is my motherboard BIOS sticker "Phoenix BIOS" while I see "Award
BIOS" during system boot-up?
A: Phoenix & Award already merged as one company. All MSI motherboards
using Award BIOS come with Phoenix logo stickers.
Q: How do I know what MSI D-LED or D-bracket light mean?
A: Please follow the special tech issue, http://www.msi.com.tw/support/
techexpress/special_tech/smartled.htm
Q: I used my MSI motherboard and got an error message, "Primary IDE
Channel No 80 Conductor Cable Installed" while the system detected
hard drives.
A: This is not a problem. It merely means that you're using an ATA-66 or ATA100 HDD, but you're using the conductor 40 ATA-33 cable.
Q: I have high speed CPU cooling fan like Taisol CGK760092, Vantec CCK6035D & GlobalWin WBK38. Can I install the fan directly to the
motherboard?
T-1
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
A: We strongly recommend that you do NOT connect those described CPU
fan directly to your motherboard, as it draws so much power, that it could
damage it. Please use a 3-Pin to 4-Pin Cable that comes together with the fan.
Q: Can I use more than 512MB memory on Win9x or WinME?
A: No, you can’t. You can only use more than 512MB memory on Win2000 or
WinXP. This is a Microsoft OS issue. Please check http://support/microsoft.
com/support/kb/articles/Q108/0/79.ASP
Q: I have tried to download the MSI Live Update utility from http://www.msi.
com.tw/support/liveupdate/livedriver.htm but it keeps on failing?
A: This can be solved by one of the following suggestions: 1. Dont install
zonealarm 2. Disable "WebTrap" of PC-cillion 2000 3. Disable any web based
anti-virus Software.
Q: Can Live Update Series support WinXP?
A: Live Update Series version 215 can support WinXP. Download it from http:/
/www.msi.com.tw/support/liveupdate/livedriver.htm
Q: After flashing the BIOS, my system for unknown reason fails to boot.
What should I do?
A: Please refer to the following suggestions: 1. Try the BIOS boot recovery
feature as described in http://www.msi.com.tw/support/bios/boot.htm 2. Try
to clear the CMOS If problem still persists, ask your reseller for new BIOS
chip or contact one of MSI office near your place for new BIOS chip http://
www.msi.com.tw/contact/main.htm
Q: Should I update my BIOS, once a new BIOS is released?
A: A new BIOS is usually released due to the following reasons:
1. New function is supported
T-2
Troubleshooting
2. New BIOS source code
3. Bugs are found
4. Customer-specific request
When we release a new BIOS, there's usually a release note attached which
lists the reason for the release. Refer to this release note and decide for
yourself if upgrading to the new BIOS will be worth it. A word of advice,
though, do not upgrade to the new BIOS, unless you really have to.
Q: How do I update the BIOS?
A: Please refer to http://www.msi.com.tw/support/bios/note.htm for details.
Q: How do I identify the BIOS version?
A: Upon boot-up, the 1st line appearing after the memory count is the BIOS
version. It is usually in the format:
1. For older model number:
AG76 091096 where:
1st digit refers to BIOS maker as A = AMI(R) W = AWARD(R) P = PHOENIX
(R).
2nd digit refers to the internal chipset code.
3rd digit refers to the processor class as 5 = 486, 7 = 586, 8 = 686.
4th digit is incremental.
091096 refers to the date this BIOS is released.
2. For newer model number:
W5139MS V1.0 091096 where:
1st digit refers to BIOS maker as A = AMI(R) W = AWARD(R) P = PHOENIX
(R).
2nd - 5th digit refers to the model number.
6th - 7th digit refers to the customer as MS = all standard customers.
V1.0 refers to the BIOS version.
091096 refers to the date this BIOS is released.
T-3
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
Q: After I flashed the BIOS and rebooted the system, the screen went blank.
A: For AMI BIOS
Rename the desired AMI BIOS file to AMIBOOT.ROM and save it on a
floppy disk. e.g. Rename A569MS23.ROM to AMIBOOT.ROM
Insert this floppy disk in the floppy drive. Turn On the system and press
and hold Ctrl-Home to force update. It will read the AMIBOOT.ROM file
and recover the BIOS from the A drive.
When 4 beeps are heard you may remove the floppy disk and restart the
computer.
For Award BIOS
Make a bootable floopy disk
Copy the Award flash utility & BIOS file to the said floppy disk
Create an autoexec.bat with "awdfl535 biosfilename" in the content e.g.
awdfl535 a619mj21.bin
Boot up system with the said floppy (it will take less than 2 minutes before
screen comes out)
Re-flash the BIOS & reboot.
T-4
Glossary
Glossary
Glossary
ACPI (Advanced Configuration & Power Interface)
This power management specification enables the OS (operating system) to control the
amount of power given to each device attached to the computer. Windows 98/98SE,
Windows 2000 and Windows ME can fully support ACPI to allow users managing the
system power flexibly.
AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port)
A new, high-speed graphics interface that based on PCI construction and designed
especially for the throughput demands of 3-D graphics. AGP provides a direct channel
(32-bit wide bus) between the display controller and main memory for high graphics
quality and performance.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth refers to a worldwide standard for the wireless exchange of data between two
devices. Bluetooth requires that a low-cost transceiver chip be included in each device.
The tranceiver transmits and receives in a previously unused frequency band of 2.45
GHz that is available globally (with some variation of bandwidth in different countries).
In addition to data, up to three voice channels are available. Each device has a unique 48bit address from the IEEE 802 standard. Connections can be point-to-point or
multipoint. The maximum range is 10 meters. Data can be exchanged at a rate of 1
megabit per second (up to 2 Mbps in the second generation of the technology).
BIOS (Basic Input/Output System)
On PCs, an essential software that contains all the control code of input/output interface (such as keyboard, disk drives, etc.). It executes hardware test on booting the
system, starts the OS, and provides an interface between the OS and the components.
The BIOS is stored in a ROM chip.
Bus
A set of hardware lines within the computer system, through which the data is transferred among different components. In a PC, the term bus usually refers to a local bus
that connects the internal components to the CPU and main memory.
Cache
A special memory subsystem that is used to speed up the data transfer. It stores the
G-1
MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
contents of frequently accessed RAM locations and the addresses where these data
items are stored.
Chipset
A collection of integrated chips designed to perform one or more related functions. For
example, a modem chipset contains all the primary circuits for transmitting and receiving data; a PC chipset provides the electronic interfaces between all subsystems.
Clock Cycle
Clock cycle (or tick) is the smallest unit of time recognized by a device. For personal
computers, clock cycles generally refer to the main system clock, which runs at 66
MHz. This means that there are 66 million clock cycles per second. Since modern
CPUs run much faster (up to 533 MHz), the CPU can execute several instructions in a
single clock tick.
CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor)
CMOS is a widely used type of semiconductor, which features high speed and low
power consumption. PCs usually contain a small amount of battery-powered CMOS
memory to retain the date, time, and system setup parameters.
DRAM (Dynamic RAM)
A most common type of computer memory. It usually uses one transistor and a
capacitor to represent a bit. As the development of technology, the memory type and
specification used in computer becomes variety, such as SDRAM, DDR SDRAM, and
RDRAM. For further instruction, please see the table below:
Dynamic RAM (DRAM) Memory Technologies
Type
FPM (60,70ns)
EDO (50,60,70ns)
SDRAM (66MHz)
SDRAM (100MHz)
SDRAM (133MHz)
RDRAM (Direct Rambus)
DDR SDRAM (100MHz)
DDR SDRAM (133MHz)
First Used Clock Rate Bus* Width
1990
1994
1996
1998
1999
1999
2000
2000
25MHz
40MHz
66MHz
100MHz
133MHz
400MHz
100MHz
133MHz
64 bits
64 bits
64 bits
64 bits
64 bits
16 bits
64 bits
64 bits
* Memory channel width (64 bits started with 75MHz Pentium)
Source: Computer Desktop Encyclopedia
G-2
Peak
Volts
Bandwidth
200 MBps
5v
5v
320 MBps
3.3v
528 MBps
3.3v
800 MBps
3.3v
1.1 GBps
2.5v
1.6 GBps
3.3v
1.6 GBps
3.3v
2.1 GBps
Glossary
ECC Memory (Error Correcting Code Memory)
A type of memory that contains special circuitry for testing the accuracy of data and
correcting the errors on the fly.
EEPROM
Acronym for Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory. An EEPROM
is a special type of PROM that can be erased by exposing it to an electrical charge. Like
other types of PROM, EEPROM retains its contents even when the power is turned
off. Also like other types of ROM, EEPROM is not as fast as RAM. EEPROM is
similar to flash memory (sometimes called flash EEPROM). The principal difference is
that EEPROM requires data to be written or erased one byte at a time whereas flash
memory allows data to be written or erased in blocks. This makes flash memory faster.
EIDE
Short for Enhanced IDE, a newer version of the IDE mass storage device interface
standard developed by Western Digital Corporation. It supports data rates of between
4 and 16.6 MBps, about three to four times faster than the old IDE standard. In
addition, it can support mass storage devices of up to 8.4 gigabytes, whereas the old
standard was limited to 528 MB. Because of its lower cost, enhanced EIDE has
replaced SCSI in many areas. There are four EIDE modes defined. The most common
is Mode 4, which supports transfer rates of 16.6 MBps. There is also a new mode,
called ATA-3 or Ultra ATA, that supports transfer rates of 33 MBps.
EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture)
EISA is a standard bus (computer interconnection) architecture that extends the ISA
standard to a 32-bit interface. It was developed in part as an open alternative to the
proprietary Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) that IBM introduced in its PS/2
computers. EISA data transfer can reach a peak of 33 megabytes per second.
ESCD (Extended System Configuration Data)
It is a format for storing information about Plug-and-Play (PnP) devices in the BIOS.
Windows and the BIOS access the ESCD area each time you re-boot your computer
External Cache
Short for Level 2 cache, cache memory that is external to the microprocessor. In
general, L2 cache memory, also called the secondary cache, resides on a separate chip
from the microprocessor chip. Although, more and more microprocessors are including
L2 caches into their architectures.
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MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics)
A type of disk-drive interface widely used to connect hard disks, CD-ROMs and tape
drives to a PC, in which the controller electronics is integrated into the drive itself,
eliminating the need for a separate adapter card. The IDE interface is known as the
ATA (AT Attachment) specification.
IEEE 1394
A new, high speed external bus standard, also known as FireWire or iLink, which
supports data transfer rates of up to 400 Mbps for connecting up to 63 external
devices.
Internal Cache
Short for Level 1 cache, a memory cache built into the microprocessor. The L1 cache is
also called the primary cache.
IrDA (Infrared Data Association)
A group of device vendors, including computer, component and telecommunications,
who have developed a standard for transmitting data via infrared light waves. This
enables you to transfer data from one device to another without any cables.
IRQ (Interrupt Request Line)
IRQs are hardware lines over which devices can send interrupt signals to the
microprocessor. When you add a new device to a PC, you sometimes need to set its
IRQ number by setting a DIP switch. This specifies which interrupt line the device
may use. IRQ conflicts used to be a common problem when adding expansion boards,
but the Plug-and-Play specification has removed this headache in most cases.
ISA (Industry Standard Architecture)
ISA is a standard bus (computer interconnection) architecture that is associated with
the IBM AT motherboard. It allows 16 bits at a time to flow between the motherboard
circuitry and an expansion slot card and its associated device(s). Also see EISA and
MCA.
LAN (Local Area Network)
A computer network that covers a relatively smaller area, such as in a building or an
enterprise. It is made up of servers, workstations, shared resources, a network operating system and a communications link. These individual PCs and devices on a LAN are
known as “nodes”, and are connected by cables to access data and devices anywhere on
the LAN, so that many users can share expensive devices and data.
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Glossary
LBA (Logical Block Addressing)
Logical block addressing is a technique that allows a computer to address a hard disk
larger than 528 megabytes. A logical block address is a 28-bit value that maps to a
specific cylinder-head-sector address on the disk. 28 bits allows sufficient variation to
specify addresses on a hard disk up to 8.4 gigabytes in data storage capacity. Logical
block addressing is one of the defining features of Enhanced IDE (EIDE), a hard disk
interface to the computer bus or data paths.
LED (Light Emitting Diode)
A semiconductor device that converts electrical energy into light. Since it lights up
(usually red) when electricity is passed through it, it is usually used for the activity
lights on computer’s component, such as disk drivers.
LPT (Line Printer Terminal)
Logical device name for a line printer; a name reserved by the MS-DOS for up to three
parallel printer ports: LPT1, LPT2, and LPT3. It is frequently used by the OS to
identify a printer.
Overclocking
Overclocking is resetting your computer so that the microprocessor runs faster than the
manufacturer-specified speed (for example, setting an Intel 166 MHz (megahertz)
microprocessor to run at 200 Mhz).
PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)
A local bus standard developed by Intel that first appeared on PCs in late 1993. PCI
provides “plug and play” capability and allows IRQs to be shared. The PCI controller
can exchange data with the system's CPU either 32 bits or 64 bits at a time.
PnP (Plug and Play)
A set of specifications that allows a PC to configure itself automatically to work with
peripherals. The user can "plug" in a peripheral device and "play" it without configuring the system manually. To implement this useful feature, both the BIOS that supports PnP and a PnP expansion card are required.
POST (Power On Self Test)
During booting up your system, the BIOS executes a series of diagnostic tests, include
checking the RAM, the keyboard, the disk drives, etc., to see if they are properly
connected and operating.
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MS-9121 E-ATX Mainboard
PS/2 Port
A type of port developed by IBM for connecting a mouse or keyboard to a PC. The
PS/2 port supports a mini DIN plug containing just 6 pins. Most modern PCs equipped
with PS/2 ports so that the special port can be used by another device, such as a
modem.
RAID
RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks; originally Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) is a way of storing the same data in different places (thus, redundantly)
on multiple hard disks. By placing data on multiple disks, I/O operations can overlap in
a balanced way, improving performance. Since multiple disks increases the mean time
between failure (MTBF), storing data redundantly also increases fault-tolerance.
SCSI
Acronym for Small Computer System Interface. Pronounced "scuzzy," SCSI is a parallel interface standard used by Apple Macintosh computers, PCs, and many UNIX
systems for attaching peripheral devices to computers. SCSI interfaces provide for
faster data transmission rates (up to 80 megabytes per second) than standard serial and
parallel ports. In addition, you can attach many devices to a single SCSI port, so that
SCSI is really an I/O bus rather than simply an interface.
USB (Universal Serial Bus)
A hardware interface for low-speed peripherals such as the keyboard, mouse, joystick,
etc. USB provides a maximum bandwidth of 12 Mbit/sec (Mbps) for connecting up to
127 peripheral devices to PC. USB features hot swap capability and multiple data
streams, allows external devices to be plugged in and unplugged without turning the
system off.
Virus
A program or a piece of code that infects computer files by inserting in those files
copies of itself. The virus code is buried within an existing program, and is activated
when that program is executed. All the viruses are man-made, and often have damaging
side effects.
WLAN
Acronym for wireless local-area network. Also referred to as LAWN. A type of localarea network that uses high-frequency radio waves rather than wires to communicate
between nodes.
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